Card operated rotary contact



July 15, 1958 l F. A. DEUTSCH 2,843,319

CARD OPERATED ROTARY CONTACT Filed oct. 2, 1956 FVIGJ 2,. 2l INVEN-ronUnited States Patent Office 2,843,319 Patented July 15, 1958 CARDOPERA'IED RG'I'ARY CONTACT Fritz A. Deutsch, East Orange, N. J.,assigner to lMonroe Calculating Machine Company, Grange, N, Si., a conporation of Delaware Application October 2, 1956, Serial No. 613,519

8 Claims. (Ci. 23S-61.11)

This invention relates to devices for sensing perforated designations ina record card or the like and more particularly to card operated rotarycontact devices which are adapted for effecting a series of electricalimpulses upon the sensing of a selective series of such designationswhile the record cards are in motion through the usual card feedingmechanism associated with accounting and statistical machines.

The invention contemplates improvement in card sensing devices of thetype such as for instance disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,517,984 issuedAugust 8, 1950 to James M. Cunningham wherein a sensing element in theform of a star wheel is rotatably mounted on the end of a lever andrests upon a record card to traverse a perforated column thereof. la thedevices of the patent two points of the star wheel rest on the cardsurface and as a hole arrives and passes beneath the near point saidpoint will roll into the hole, allowing the center of the wheel to dropthereby rocking the supporting lever. Upon such operation a suitableplunger means provided between said lever and a resilient contact arm iscaused to be operated for engaging the contact arm with a related fixedcontact member and effect thereby an electrical circuit. It will benoted however that such engagement is made without benefit of any wipingaction at the contact point.

In such earlier known devices, where the holes sensed follow one anotherin close proximity, as where they are spaced a distance equal to thepitch of the teeth or points of the above star wheel, the wheel willshift bodily upon sensing the rst hole and will thereafter simply rollfrom one hole to the next without shifting the center of the wheel andthe contacts will thus remain in engaged condition to maintain thecircuit for as long as the succession of closely spaced holes continues.Under such condition for effecting a pulse circuit in accordance witheach of the said perforations auxiliary pulsing devices have beenprovided heretofore which devices are operable in timed relation withthe record card in known manner.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedand compact rotary card sensing device having a gear wheel the teeth ofwhich are adapted for engaging an intermittent series of perforations ina record card for rotation thereby and which teeth serve also as aplurality of electrical contact elements adapted to be broughtsuccessively thereby into circuit engagement with a iixed electricalcontact member so as to effect a selective series of electricalimpulses.

As a further object the invention provides for a rotary card sensinggear wheel the teeth of which form a series of contact elements incommon and adapted for successive engagement with a common fixed contactbar to effect thereby a series of electrical impulses in accordance witha series of card perfor/ations, without utilizing auxiliary pulsingmeans such as heretofore known to the art.

Another object of the invention is to provide sensing gears rotatable bythe record card and which leave a series of angularly spaced electricalcontact areas thereon each adapted for effecting a wiping action with afixed contact member to assure electrical circuit therewith.

As a further object the invention kprovides `for a card operated rotarycontact device employing fewer parts than the heretofore'known art lin`that a seriesof-electrical control circuits are now effected directlythrough the rotary sensing wheel.

`Other objects and structural details of `the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the device and showing means for advancingthe record card.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail elevation of lthe card sensing rotarycontact gear wheel, shown in normal position 'just prior to operationthereof by a record card.

Fig. 3 is a similar view with a pair of teeth-of a'contact gear wheelriding on an imperforate portion of a'record card.

Fig. 4 is a similar detail view, with the contact wheel at mid-operatedposition in engagement 'with the fixed contact member, the wheel beingtraversed by alseries of closely -spaced perforations.

Referring to .the drawings, `the record vcard feeding mechanism isdiagrammatically represented by pairs of feeding 'rollers 10 whichvadvance a record 'card '11 toward `the right with :a continuousmovement across a supporting plate'12. The card 121 is of well-knowntype, suchas'the I. B. M. record card, having perforations 13 arranged`in the usual columns and `rows according fto the data vtheir locationrepresents.

Inline for sensing each of the columns ofthe perforations 13 is arelated contact member in fthe form 'of 1a six tooth gear wheel 1li,each lwheel lbeing freely rotatable on 1a pin .'15 carried on the freeend of corresponding levers 16. Levers ,'16 in cross section areU-shaped Vin structure and freely fulcrumed upon a common shaft 17,mounted'within the side `frame structure 18 and extending transverselyof the columns of lperforations 13. To electrically insulate therespective levers 16 from the support shaft 17 the'hu'bs 19 `of saidlevers are each made of :a dielectric material. n

Fast to the underside vof support :plate 12 is a frame mem-ber 20 whichhas securedthereto by means of screw stud 21 a block 22 constructed ofdielectric material. Block 22 extends transversely `beneath the contactwheels 14 and has mounted therein a contact bar 23 extending across allof the contact wheels, said contact bar being connected through means ofservice lead 24 to any suitable source of electrical supply.

Levers 16 are biased each in clockwise direction (Fig. l) by a vrelatedspring 25 connected at one end lto the corresponding lever 16 and attheir opposite end to a rod 26. So ythat llevers 16 may remainelectrically insulated vsprings 25 are lseparated Afrom shaft 26 bymeans of a suitable insulating sleeve 27. Each of the contact wheels 14therefore is held by its lever 16 with a pair of teeth in engagementwith insulating block 22 in such manner that a tooth is spacedadjacentonefto'each side of contact -bar 23 and being normally out vofengagement therewith.

Extending transversely within the side framing *18 are insulating stripmembers 28 within which is secured one end of a plurality of spring leafcircuit members 29, each -being electrically insulated from the other.The free end of each of lthe circuit members 29 rides upon a shoulder orhub portion 30 of the corresponding contact wheel 14 to form electricalconnection therewith.

As a'card 11 is propelled by "the rollers 10 the 'forward edge Iof thecard will engage the near tooth of contact wheels 14 and will rotatesaid wheels in unison in a counterclockwise direction. During such`operation the ing further koontinuedvmovement of the card any im- 7perforate portions in a card column are adapted to slide along the pairof adjacent teeth of the (related column contact wheel and no engagementof therelated contact wheel 14 is effected during such portions of acard movement Where however during such movement of ya card a series ofperforations 13 traverses a contact wheel 14 the following operationwill occur.

,As a perforation 13 of the card moves under the near tooth of therelatedcolumn sensing gear wheel 14 spring v25 of the related lever 16will act to restore said lever downwardly and cause the wheel to turn,with said tooth entering the perforation 13.V As the card continues toadvance, the trailing edge of the perforation as it traverses theentered tooth acts to effect a further rota- ;tion' tothe wheel 14 andsaid tooth is caused to berotated in a wiping action across the contactYbar 23, as shown in Fig. 4. Thereafter the closely spaced perfora-'tions '13 act to rotate the `contact wheel 14 and cause wipingengagement of successive teeth of said wheel with the contact bar 23,effecting thereby a series of electrical impulses to the related circuitspring leaf member 29. Such operation Yof'a wheel 14 will continue untilan unperforated portion `of the card again intercepts a rotation of thegear wheel whereupon the trailing edge of the Yfinal hole of the seriesof perforations will act to 'cam the related wheel 1.4 out of engagementwith the contact bar 23 to rest upon the top surface of the card 11, as

v shown in Fig. 3. As a record card 11 completely traverses the sensingcontact Wheels 14 Vvthe trailing edge of the card will release gearwheels 14 for a Vdownward move- `ment of levers l16 under influence oftheir springs 25,

,so that, said wheels are again positioned upon the insuklationr'blo'clfr 22, as shown in Fig. 2.

VThe" electrical impulsesV completed by the engagement of contact wheels14 as in accordance with a selective series of the perforations upon.the record card 11 are adapted to energizing well-known devices such asprinting or accumulating'magnets -in accordance with the particular typeof accounting Vor statistical machine to which the invention may beapplied.

While there has lbeen shown and described the funda,-

gagement by successive ones of said contact elements during a rotationof said gear, and wherein said gear wheel is rotatable by the recordcard through engagement of said contact teeth with spaced perforationsalong the record card for effecting a series of electrical irnpulses inaccordance with said spaced perforations.

3.A rotary contact device for sensing perforations along a record cardand effecting a series of electrical impulses in accordance therewithcomprising the combination of a freely rotatable gear wheel having aplurality of teeth each including an electrical contact area, ayieldable support member for said gear wheel, means biasing said gearwheel in a direction of the'record card, means for advancing a recordcard, a fixed electrical contact member beneath the plane of movement ofsaid card, and wherein said gear wheel is rotatable by the record cardupon engagement of Va perforation with a tooth of said gear wheel toeffect a wiping engagement of the 'said contact area thereof with saidfixed contact member.

4. A card operated sensing device adapted to effect a `series ofelectrical impulses in accordance with an intermittently spaced seriesof perforations along a record card, and comprising in combination agear wheel having teeth for sensing said perforations, and whereinymental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention,` therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe ,following claims. 'Vj l j I claim:

' .1. A rotary contact device for sensing perforated rec- Iord cardscomprising a card sensing gear wheel having a plurality of teeth forsensing perforations in a'record card andV wherein said gear wheelincludes a plurality of electrical contact areasV and eacharea being incommon'with a related one of said teeth, an electrical con'- tact memberyieldably engageable-by successive ones of said contact areasduringarotation of said gear wheel, and wherein said gear wheel'is rotatable bytheV record t card through engagement of said-teeth with saidperforations; r Y. r ,Y 2. A rotary-contactvdevice for sensingperforated record cards comprising-inV combination aicard sensing gearwheel hav-ing teeth forminga plurality-'of 'spaced electrical contactelements, yieldable support means there-V for, a fixedV electricalcontact member, adapted for entoY the card sensing teeth serve aselectrical contact elements, yieldable support means for said gearwheel, means for moving a record card past said gear wheel, resilientmeans acting to urge said gear wheel into engagement with the recordcard so that `a pair of adjacent teeth of said gear wheel effect slidingcontact along an imperforate face of said card, a fixed electricalcontact spaced from the reverse face of said card, and wherein movementof a perforation past said teeth will cause one of said teeth to rockinto said perforation, and wherein continued movement of the record cardwill rotate said gear wheel and bring the teeth thereof successivelyinto wiping electrical engagement with said fixed electrical contactmember.

5'. Card operated rotary contact devices including means for sensing aperforated record card and cornprising in combination a lever having apivot, a gear freely rotatable on the lever at a point remote from-saidpivot, and'wherein the teeth of said gear form a plurality of electricalcontact elements, a resilient electrical contactY member acting on saidgear to urge the gear into engagement with the record card sol that apair of adjacent teeth of said gear contact the Vrecord card, avxedAcontact member normally out of engagement with any of Ysaid teeth, andwherein movement of a perforation past said teeth will cause one Yofsaid pair of teeth to `rock into the perforationrwhereby during acontinued movement of said perforation the card will effect rotation ofsaid gear and will cause slideable engagement of said tooth with saidfixed contact member.

6. In a card operated rotary contact device having means for sensingperforated record' cards moveable past .said device the combinationcomprisingA a lever having a pivot, a gear rotatable on the lever at apoint remote from said pivot, and wherein the teeth of said gear form aplurality of electrical contact members, Va hub portion for said gearelectrically incommon with all Ythe said teeth, a fixedV contact memberadapted for engagement by'anyY of said teeth, a support member for saidfixed Contact member constructed of dielectric material, a resilientelectrical4 contact member .actingon said hub and urging the gear intoengagement with said support member, and wherein a pair of adjacentteeth of said gear contact said support Vone to each side of said Vfixedcontact. j Y

7. Card operated rotary contactV devices including means Yfor sensingperforated record cards moveable past saidv devices and comprising thecombination of a .lever having a pivot, Va gear rotatable on the leveiat a point remote from said pivot, andV whereinitheteethfof said A 5trical contact members, a hub portion on said gear electrically incommon with all the said teeth, a xed contact member adapted forsuccessive engagement of said teeth and located relative to said gear onaline passing through the pivotal center thereof Iand beingperpendicular to the direction of movement of said card, a supportmember for said contact constructed of dielectric material, a resilientelectrical contact member engaging said hub, and yieldable means forurging the gear into engagement with said support member whereby a pairof adjacent teeth of said gear contact the said support member one toeach side of said fixed contact.

8. In a c-ard operated sensing device the combination of means foreffecting electrical impulses in accordance with columns of perforationsspaced along the record cards and comprising .a plurality of leversfulcrumed upon a common support shaft and being electrically insulatedthereof, a freely rotatable gear wheel mounted upon each of said leversata point remote from said shaft, and wherein the teeth of each of saidwheels sense related columns of card perforations, and wherein saidsensing teeth comprise each an electrical contact element, a dielectricsupport member, resilient means biasing each of said levers wherebypairs of teeth of said gear wheels are held in yieldable engagement withsaid support member and wherein each of said resilient means iselectrically insulated of the other, a fixed contact bar in common withall the said gear wheels and being mounted within said support memberspaced intermediate of said pairs of teeth, resilient electrical contactmembers insulated each of the other and engageable each with a relatedof said gear wheels, and means for moving a record card past said gearwheels so that a pair of angularly adjacent teeth of said wheels willeffect sliding engagement along the irnperforate portion of a recordcard and wherein said perforations are adapted for effecting rotation ofsaid gear wheels to effect a wiping engagement of successive teeth ofsaid gear wheels with the said contact bar.

No references cited.

